Bedtime and Stockings

Bedtime and Stockings
Immediately before bedtime, children leave a snack for father Christmas by the chimney. If the home doesn’t have a chimney, then the plate is left by the front door. The children are very generous for Father Christmas and the plate is filled with sugar cookies or small meat pies. Of course, the reindeer are not left out and snacks are left for them too. In many homes, and mine was not excluded from this, the parents would encourage a shot of brandy or whiskey to be left for Father Christmas too. After all, it is always rather cold on Christmas eve and a drink like that will warm him up a bit.
Christmas stockings: Oh, I think this was always one of my favorite parts of Christmas. Stockings started out to be just that, real stockings or men’s socks. On Christmas Eve, each child is allowed to go into their Father’s sock drawer and grab one sock. Just before bed time they will lay the sock on the end of the bed or hang in on the bottom bed post. The children have visions of all the gifts that will fill the stockings. While the children are sleeping, Father Christmas fills the stockings with Oranges and Apples and nuts and chocolate bars and small trinkets and toys. Another neat thing that siblings will do is that they share some of the money given to them while they were caroling during the Christmas season.
Next: Christmas Day
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